Action Scholar

If you, like me, enjoy film on multiple levels, then you will be interested to know you do not have to go to film school to learn about film (although it does help create a structured environment for learning).

I have compiled a list of the five beginning film theories and links to find the documents for free, along with some bonus theorists and video links. Remember, this is just the beginning or early introduction to the deep and complex world of film theory. Later posts will be added to this list, and you will be introduced to intermediate – and advanced-level theorists, theories, concepts, and philosophies.

Top 5 list of Beginning Film Theorist (in no particular order)

1. Rudolf Arnheim
   1. A German-born writer, art and film theorist, and perceptual psychologist. He was among the first to recognize film as a significant art form and apply Gestalt psychology to the study of art. His 1932 book Film as Art and his 1954 book Art and Visual Perception: A Psychology of the Creative Eye 
2. Hugo Münsterberg
   1.  A psychologist who explored how film influences the human mind in his book The Photoplay: A Psychological Study (1916)
3. André Bazin
   1. An influential French film critic and film theorist. He believed that realism was the most important function of cinema.
4. Sergei Eisenstein
   1. Developed the Soviet Montage Theory, which emphasizes the power of editing to create meaning and elicit emotional responses.
5. Ricciotto Canudo
   1. An Italian film theoretician who called cinema “plastic art in motion” and “the Sixth Art”

Bonus:

1. Jean Epstein
   1. His early theoretical writings anticipated the development of film theory as a discipline.
2. Vachel Lindsay
   1. He viewed cinema as a new form of art that could transcend language barriers. His book The Art of the Moving Picture
   1. Lindsay categorized films into three types: action, intimate, and splendor.

YouTube Videos:

What is “Film Theory,” Really? By Film & Media Studies (there are several great videos on this YouTube channel)

Film Theory (PART I: Narrative Filmmaking) by Mythical Crypto channel

How to analyse a film: the complete beginners guide by The Media Insider

On Amazon Prime, you can watch Mark Cousins’s Documentary “The Story of Film: An Odyssey.” This 15-part documentary covers film theory, film history, and world cinema.

Early Movies to watch: (can be found on YouTube)

• “The Lumière Brothers’ First Films” (1895)
• A Trip to the Moon (1902)
• The Great Train Robbery (1903) American silent film made by Edwin S. Porter
• The Birth of a Nation (1915) – Study montage in its historical context
• Intolerance (1916) – D.W. Griffith’s epic
• The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920)
• Nosferatu (1922) – German Expressionism
• Battleship Potemkin (1925)
• October: Ten Days That Shook the World (1928) – Sergei Eisenstein
• Man with a Movie Camera (1929)